Stepmom indicted after allegedly using screwdriver to hit 6-year-old stepdaughter

SEARSPORT, Maine — A woman accused of striking her 6-year-old stepdaughter with a screwdriver was indicted last week by a Waldo County grand jury.

Felicia R. Moulton, 24, of Searsport was arrested and charged with domestic assault at the end of June, Sheriff Scott Story of the Waldo County Sheriff’s Office said Monday afternoon. The arrest followed a brief investigation that began when a local pediatrician called the district attorney’s office to say that a child had a suspicious injury.

Story said that when the stepdaughter was visiting Moulton, the woman allegedly hit the child in the arm with the screwdriver, leaving a bruise behind. When the girl returned to her mother’s home, the mother grew concerned and took her to the doctor.

Police interviewed Moulton, who admitted to the assault, Story said.

She was taken to Waldo County Jail to be booked and has been released on bail set at $500 cash. Her bail conditions specify that she is to have no contact with the victim, Story said.

“A child can still be physically disciplined, but there’s a very fine line between discipline and abuse,” he said. “There’s a big difference between a light spanking and using tools and other implements to inflict injury.”

He declined to share more specifics about the case because it has not yet gone to trial. If Moulton is found guilty, the Class C assault charge is punishable by up to 5 years incarceration and a $5,000 fine.